The pneumatic tire or air-filled tire consists of a core filled with airtight sealed pressurized air. Typically, a reinforced steel belted tread or other materials, seals this inner core and provides the contact part with the road.
The tire will remain inflated with all the weight of the vehicle resting on it, since the air pressure inside the tire is more than atmospheric air pressure. The air pressure in the tire provides resistance against forces which attempt to deform the tire. This gives the tire a slight degree of a cushioning effect when the tire hits bumps in the road. If you have experienced taking a ride in an old-fashioned carriage which had wooden wheels, you understand how huge of a difference a set of pneumatic tires makes.
Of course, there are several disadvantages to pneumatic tires. Like for instance in highly dangerous applications or high-performance situations, these tires can suffer a puncture and this would lead to a total failure. The consequence of a blowout at high speeds can lead to a serious car accident. Military planners should take into consideration tires getting blown out by firing of guns or explosion shrapnel. The worst nightmare of a vehicle crew is becoming trapped within a fire zone because of all of their tires becoming flat. Airless tires evidently don't suffer from these kind of issues and thus, in certain applications, might be more suitable.
Pneumatic tires have one more problem involving variations in tire performance and air pressure. Lower tire pressure can create increased comfort and improved traction. This is due to the fact that tires flatten slightly and more tread is touching the road. The air pressure inside of the tire works to maintain the "up and down" stiffness as well as maintain the lateral stiffness of the tire. Therefore, less air pressure allows the sidewalls of the tires to flex. Unfortunately, this leads to poor handling. In an airless tire, the stiffness in those two dimensions is independent.
There are other problems with air pressure. Consumers are notoriously undependable when it comes to maintaining proper air pressure. Tires that have wrong air pressure could result in unsafe situations. It is very vital to note that pneumatic tires are also prone to temperature changes, which could be responsible for changing the internal pressure of the tire. It is really vital to consider the type of environments you will be needing your equipment to operate in so that you could regularly inspect the tires and keep the machine as safe as possible.